Realism:Failure of 'Power'
Deadly Double Game
Summary:India whose Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had signed 11 wide-ranging agreements with China on January 14, 2008, strengthening mutual cooperation, showing inactive approach in the solution of border dispute, has been clandestinely supporting the Tibetan insurgents as part of its double game.
India whose Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had signed 11 wide-ranging agreements with China on January 14, 2008, strengthening mutual cooperation, showing inactive approach in the solution of border dispute, has been clandestinely supporting the Tibetan insurgents as part of its double game.
On March 10, 2008, anti-government protests by Buddhist monks erupted in Tibet's capital, Lhasa and later on flared in nearby provinces, killing 18 innocent civilians.
Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet who has lived in exile in India along with his120,000 followers since a failed revolt against Chinese rule in 1959 has been tacitly encouraged by New Delhi—enabling him to mobilize armed groups and international supportto create instability in the neighboring provinces of China The duplicity of India could be noted from a number of self-contradictions in this context. New Delhi shows that she does not favour an independence of Tibet and avoids any propaganda against China. On the other hand, Indian media left no stone unturned in exaggerating the casualties by manipulating China’s recent crackdown against the militants of Tibet—which was essential to restore law and order. Full coverage was given to the ambivalent statements of Lama and western propagandists.Chinese newspaper, the People's Daily said in this connection that Dalai Lama, winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize had “never abandoned violence since fleeing to India”—and he “is scheming to take the Beijing Olympics of August 2008 hostage to force the Chinese government to make concessions for Tibet independence”.
On March 23, 2008, while strongly defending the Buddhist leader, The Times of India pointed out that Lama has denied all the “charges of the Chinese government”—as “he fully supports the Beijing Olympics”.
On April 14, 2008, Express India news agency (online) also strongly advocated the position of Lama, while concealing the sinister designs of India, quoted Lama as saying, “ he was saddened by the anti-Chinese protests that marred the traditional Olympics torch relay through the streets of London, Paris and San Francisco”.
However, indicating the official stand, taken by the Indian government tactfully, the Dalai Lama revealed that he wanted to talk to China for autonomy, but not outright independence for his homeland. In fact, both New Delhi and Lama had covertly planned bloodshed in Tibet including other adjoining territories, motivating the people for liberation.
It is of particular attention that on October 14, 2006,welcoming the support of Indians at the All India Tibet Support Groups conference in Bodh Gaya, the Lama, while describing century’s old relationship between the Indians and Tibetans had disclosed that he hoped the gathering would eventually allow Tibetan people to live in freedom. On the one side New Delhihas directed its leaders to avoid participating in any meeting of Dalai Lam on Indian soil, but on the other,the three-day conference had been attended by members of the All Party India Parliamentary Forum for Tibet, Governor of Bihar R.S Gavai and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.As regards the Indian dual Tibet policy, the same has significant security problems for China owing to the entanglement of the issue in the Sino-Indian border dispute. In the post-1949 period, when the People’s Republic of China came into being, India urged China to let Tibet be an autonomous region. On April 29, 1954, through an agreement, New Delhi had recognized Tibet as part of China. After the Indo-China war of 1962, China returned the land it had occupied in Arunachal Pradesh. Indeed, China's claim over Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh) on the basis of old Tibetan religious links is logical.
While Indians sincerity in border negotiations is doubtful as it is acting upon Machiavellian diplomacy by using the foxlike traits like cunningness and deceptions. It is due to this device that the 11th round of the meeting between the special representatives of the two countries in September 2007 ended on an inconclusive note.
There are other more fundamental reasons behind Indian double game. Fast growing economic power of China coupled with her rising strategic relationship with the Third World has irked the eyes of Americans and Indians. Owing to this jealousy, support of the US for India for a permanent seat in the U.N. Security Council, the formation of the East Asia Summit, the US-India nuclear deal—all are part of American desire to make India a major world power to counterbalance the power of China in Asia. All these developments show future intentions of New Delhi who is apparently, emphasizing close ties with Beijing where most of the Chinese see India as a “future strategic competitor” rather than a partner.
It is pertinent to note that on 16 August 2007 during an annual summit, leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) which includes Russia, China and four Central Asian states displayed their strength in a firm challenge to the rising dominance of the US in the region as well as for a multi-polar system in the unipolar world. Pakistan and Iran also participated in the summit as observers and are expected to get permanent membership.
Many political experts see the SCO as anti-western club against the US-led NATO military alliance—its presence in Afghanistan, near the region of Central Asia which is replete with oil and gas.
It is because of the strategic developments in Asia that the issue of Tibet and Dalai Lama is being exploited by the anti-China states.
The state-run China Daily, quoting a lengthy report on July 27, 2006, denounced the Lama as a “splittist” and indicated that he has “collaborated with the Indian military and American CIA to organise the “Indian Tibetan special border troops to fight their way back into Tibet”.
Returning to our earlier discussion, without any doubt, India is playing a double game with China. So, Chinese leadership must be well-aware that New Delhi will use the Tibetan card openly at some point in the future.
The writer is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
My own article, published in Pakistan’s English daily, The Nation on May 1, 2008
Email: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com
About
'Power factor' in International Relations as emphasized by realist theorists have failed in coping with new brand of Islamic militancy. Non-sovereign entities like the Muslim radicals are checking the power of the US-led allies in another way through ambush attacks and suicide missions as noted in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Lebanon and elsewhere in the world. Infact, they are checking the ongoing international system and the 'status quo' which protects the interests of the most powerful countries at the expense of the weak states. Situation is becoming very critical day by day. There is already low intensity conflict and cold war between the Muslims and Western Christians. If such a practice of 'power' continues by both the state and non-state actors, present drastic events of the 'different war' may culminate into clash of civilizations or World War 111. We must realize that mow the days of Machiavelli, Hobbes and Morgenthau are over in an era of peaceful settlement of disputes and economic development in a rapidly changing world. The right hour has come to prevent any greater war especially between the Muslim and Christian worlds. So efforts must be made by the intellectuals and media of the two major communities including Israel to follow a peace based upon idealism, not realism. This is the right hour to save the world peace though compromise- adjustment of interests of both the big and small states alike in a manner by wihich the same could be reconciled peacefully, otherwise global security as maintained through power factor in sense of realism would be at a greater risk.
RSSAtom
0 Comments